The Marauder
by Phoenix Firefly
Summary: FINAL CHAPTER Remus feels lonely without Sirius. He knows Harry needs him. He has to find a way to get him back… it is going to be harder than he initially thought, but now he has a plan… and his hopes dramatically rise… COMPLETED
1. The thought

Disclaimer: I don't own them; I don't know anyone that does. Oh, JK does, but I don't know her! J LOL!  
  
STOP RIGHT THERE! IF YOU HAVEN'T READ HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX… BE WARNED… THERE ARE MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. NO FLAMES ALLOWED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!  
  
Synopsis: On a lighter note, this story takes place after OotP. Remus feels lonely without Sirius. He knows Harry needs him. He has to find a way to get him back… it si going to be harder than he initially thought, but now he has a plan… and his hopes dramatically rise…  
  
*  
  
Chapter one: The Thought.  
  
Lupin sighed and stared as Harry left the platform with him Muggle relatives. Harry was going through a tough time; there was no mistaking that. He had only just lost his Godfather and all hopes of living with the wizarding community had been squashed.   
  
It had been hard for everyone now that Sirius was gone. Lupin was the only marauder left, well accounting that Wormtail was part of the Dark Side.  
  
He turned back to his company: Mad Eye Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, The Weasley's and Hermione. He knew that the Order was going to go on. He knew that they were going to continue to fight the Greatest Dark Wizard of all time, You-Know-Who. They had Dumbledore, but somehow Remus knew it wasn't enough.   
  
He had this feeling of dread and a choking sadness before, when James and Lily had been killed, Sirius imprisoned at Azkaban. This was a more sickening feeling of solitude that he hadn't felt as severely as before.  
  
Sirius Black.   
  
Dead.  
  
His best friend.  
  
He partner in crime.  
  
What was life without him?  
  
How was he going to cope?   
  
Remus looked between his companions. Sure they were good company and they all got on well fine, but he had known Sirius Black his whole life. His relationship with him had meant everything. Everything.  
  
Now he was gone.  
  
" You all right Lupin?" Moody growled, lowering his bowler cap over his magical eye. " I know that you and Potter are close."  
  
" Oh, it's not Harry," he said with a vague smile, ridding the conversation that was bound to arise. " I'm going out to Diagon Alley, I need to get a new wand. Er… mine snapped down in the Department of Mysteries."   
  
Moody looked him up and down, probably searching for his wand on him. It was his luck he had left it at home; he just needed an excuse to get some time to think by himself.  
  
" I'll come, I haven't got anything better to do," Tonks said.  
  
" Actually, I'd prefer to be by myself—"  
  
" Oh, I won't get in the w—" she stopped because Mrs. Weasely had elbowed her in the ribs. Tonks got the pictured and turned to talk to Fred and George about buying some of their Skiving Snackboxes.  
  
" Well, I'll head off then," Remus said.  
  
" Be back for dinner!" Mrs. Weasley yelled after him. Remus turned, smiled then continued walking, leaving the Order behind.  
  
He entered Diagon Alley through the Leakey Cauldron and walked down the busy lane. There were Wizards standing around reading Harry's story that Luna's father (who owned The Quibbler) sold to them. There was hushed talk about You-Know-Who and even more talk on Albus Dumbledore.   
  
He walked past Madame Mulkin's Robe store remembering the time when all four Marauders had to buy new robes after he had ripped them to pieces on one of their outings. They had a great laugh about it when they were getting fitted but at the time was truly devastating. There was a lot if explaining involved in that one.  
  
He walked past Quality Quidditch Suppies and smiled at the Firebolt in the window. He laughed to himself remembering that he and James had walked past one day and thought that the Shooting Star was the best think since colourless poison.  
  
Wandering into Florish and Blotts he noticed that the storekeeper had on sale defensive and complex charm spell books. He looked around and walked up stairs where he knew the Exclusive Dark Arts books were.  
  
He found his favourite chair and sat back in it, pulling from the self any book at random. He didn't care what it was for he had no intention of reading it. He needed to think how to get over this anguish he was feeling.   
  
People came and went as he sat in the comfortable red armchair, thinking.  
  
Harry had been through a lot, and this was such a blowback, he had gotten so far with Sirius, he was his father, his brother, and his confidant.  
  
He had defeated Voldemort so many times. He had saved the Philosopher's Stone, he had stopped the him returning through the form of a diary as his sixteen year old self, he had knocked back Dementor's (this one Lupin was particularly proud of), he had fought him up in the graveyard the year before where he had to watch Cedric die. He knew that for the first time Harry felt beaten by Voldemort.  
  
There must be some kind of way that Harry could communicate with Sirius. Of course he couldn't deny that an act if communication wouldn't be completely selfless, he wanted to speak to his best friend too, it was just not possible.  
  
He had not chosen to take a form as a ghost. That was not comforting as he hoped the unknown decision might have been.  
  
He was not sure whether Sirius was dead or not. Bellatrix Lestrange had not killed him, he knew that for sure, he had been stunned and had fallen through the Veil, ultimately closing him behind forever.  
  
He needed something to hope for. He needed something that he could pursue, besides the work he was doing for the Order.  
  
He got up and put the unopened book away. He walked back down the stairs when he remembered that Molly told him to be back for dinner.  
  
He glided down and stopped in front of a row of shelves entitled 'Diaries'.   
  
Voldemort had tried to come back through a diary he had left behind at Hogwarts. Yes, he had already thought about that. He was nearing the Floo Powder station when the thought struck him.   
  
The Marauders map.  
  
Messrs Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs…  
  
It was a memory.  
  
It could speak for itself.   
  
It had within it their 16-year-old selves.  
  
Was it possible to bring Sirius back?  
  
*  
  
A/N: What do you think? Good story? Give us a yell, by writing a review! For those of you who are foreign with the term there is a long narrow button at the bottom of the screen that says: " Click to review" or something. So that's how you do it! Thanks to all!   
  
Phoenix Firefly 


	2. The map

A/N: Thank you to all my excellent reviewers! I've never had this many before and I was a bit shocked when it went to my e-mail! Lol! Thanks a lot guys, u made my day! Again though, coz someone didn't really get the message not naming names and flamed me after, SPOLIERS!!!!!!!   
  
Now… on to the story…  
  
Chapter two: The Map*  
  
This fleeting moment that Remus had had kept him stationary for a whole minute, thinking the possibility through.  
  
He had created the map, mostly.   
  
He jinxed it so this would happen.   
  
Could he un-jinx it?  
  
There was a grumble from behind him and he turned to see what it was. There were a few impatient wizards staring at him.  
  
" Do you know where you're going?" asked a short blonde witch with a shrill voice.  
  
Remus cringed then remembered what he was doing jumped into the fire place, grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and bellowed, " 12 Grimmauld Place" then he was gone, shooting up the Floo network that the Ministry had stopped tracking so closely.  
  
He stumbled out of the fireplace in the kitchen, brushing dust off his shabby robes. There were a few people siting in the kitchen, around the table that had not looked up.  
  
" Hi Remus," Ginny said without looking up from her game with Ron is wizard chess.   
  
" Yeah, hi Rem—you cant do that! See! It won't move, isn't that telling you something…"  
  
Mrs. Weasley came hurrying into the kitchen. She acknowledged Remus and went to stir her over sized cauldron.  
  
He moved out and went slowly into the hall where he bumped into Mad Eye.  
  
" Get a new wand, Lupin?"  
  
Remus looked at him perplexed. He had completely forgot what his excuse was to go to Diagon Alley. He smiled nervously.   
  
" Well, actually Moody, I just needed to get out of the house for a bit, think things through."  
  
" Its OK Lupin, I already knew. Your wand is where you left it in your bedroom."  
  
" Oh and you just had to investigate…"  
  
" I'm an Auror, that my job."  
  
Remus smiled and walked up the stairs until he was out of Moody's sight and bolted for his room. He threw himself at his desk; pulled a piece of parchment and got his quill, dipped it in maroon ink and began to scribble a message to Harry.   
  
Harry,  
  
How are you going with the Muggles? Any grief yet, because you know the rules we set for them…  
  
Look, Harry, I've had an idea. I wont mention it to you now, you might still be coping with the loss of Sirius, but, if you could send the Marauders Map to me with Hedwig, I might be able to work something out.  
  
Yours,  
  
Remus Lupin  
  
He sealed the letter and got out the owl he had bought before he joined the Order, he had felt the need to communicate more than he had to before these dark days with Voldemort and Death Eaters.   
  
He tied the letter to his owl and it was off, sweeping the mountainside and off out to site.  
  
He flopped onto his bed.  
  
He wasn't sure if he could do what he was going to try and do. If he had succeeded, if his counter jinx had worked, he was indeed able to bring Sirius back, would he be his 16-year-old self?  
  
Was he not going to know that Harry existed?  
  
Was he going to be faced with the fact that a wizard that had posed no threat to their Hogwarts years had killed James and Lily?   
  
Would he have to swallow the fact that Wormtail was the one who sold them away?   
  
Would he be able to stay in the house all day long? Would he accept the fact that he was an escaped prisoner of Azkaban?   
  
If this were possible, would Harry request to bring his father back too?  
  
Remus sighed and already knowing that this was going to be one of the toughest challenges emotionally that he had faced to date, and probably will be.  
  
His thoughts were broken by a call from downstairs; Mrs. Weasley had prepared dinner and was calling for everyone. Grudgingly Remus rose from his bed and, tripping over Kreacher, stumbled down the stars, not feeling particularly hungry anymore. His thoughts of Sirius and of Harry and this new energy to do something useful and selfish overwhelmed him as he slumped into a chair at the kitchen table, listening to Arthur Weasley's day at work.  
  
" Something the matter Moony?" Fred asked as he noticed Remus pushing the food around his plate.  
  
Remus looked up aghast, as though someone had slapped him.  
  
" Don't ever call me that," He said very quietly. The room had gone quiet.  
  
" Sorry mate, I didn't mean—"  
  
" I DON"T CARE!" he roared. " NO ONE IS TO CALL ME THAT! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"  
  
" Yeah, but Sirius—" he stopped there. Remus stood up, leaning over the table, close to Fred's face. He spoke quietly again so the people around him had to strain to hear.   
  
" But you're not Sirius, and you never will be. Sirius was my best friend—"  
  
" He was only assuming it was all right," George said, leaning across to defend his twin.  
  
" Don't assume then. Sirius… he was… he was important to me, very important… will you excuse me?"   
  
no one responded as he walked out of the door and when he reached his bedroom door, he lent against the post and let out a big sigh.  
  
He had not meant to be so short with the twins, they were trying to be comeforting, but he felt so lost.   
  
"Am I going crazy?" he muttered to himself, taking another deep breath.  
  
" Not at all," said a young female voice from behind. Tonks.  
  
" Oh, I think I am Nyphadora," he said with a chuckle. " I know I am. I shouldn't have lost it with Fred and George."  
  
" Look Remus, firstly, it's Tonks. Secondly, I know what it feels like, seriously, no pun intended, but I do. I know what Sirius meant to you. He meant a lot to all of us, though only knowing him for such a short time. He was a special guy. But no one is going to try and take his place, understand that. It's scary time, with You-Know-Who and all. Now, with all the Death Eaters out of Azkaban, no one's safe. We have to stand together, as strong as we are united is as weak as we are divided."  
  
" Thanks Tonks, it means a lot."  
  
" Anytime Lupin," she with a smile and walked away. He watched her as she changed her hair from canary yellow spikes to long sleek black hair.  
  
He stopped staring when a fluttering came from his bedroom window. It was Hedwig and she had two small pieces of parchment for him. He snatched them up, fed Hedwig and his own owl, Gertrude, then retreated to his desk and opened the envelope.   
  
Remus,  
  
I don't know why you might want the Marauder's Map… but here it is any way. The Muggles are treating me fine, but I think it's because you lot frightened them so much. Dudley to too scared to even look at me, so life at 4 Privet Drive has been quiet. Tell Ron to write to me soon. Hermione is in Spain.   
  
Take care,  
  
Harry  
  
Remus snatched the other envelope and tore it open with a sparkle in his eye.   
  
Their old map  
  
Their creation  
  
He had only to remember how to work the jinx again  
  
But he had to do it  
  
After all, Sirius was very important  
  
*  
  
A/N: Sorry if this chapter is a bit slow moving, but I have to do building before I paint the walls…  
  
REVIEW PLZ!!! I love them they make my day!!!  
  
Phoenix 


	3. Breaking in

A/N: WOW!! Such a positive response to my f/f! I'm jazzed, really, especially to all those who stuck around and r/r'ed the last chapter… yay! Thanks you guys it really means tonnes!  
  
Chapter 3: Breaking in  
  
Remus stared at the map. It wasn't how it looed when they had made it, but it still made him smile.  
  
He had it in his possession once again.  
  
It was ripped in some places, musty and faded in others and it had a smell of rotting wood. But it couldn't rot, it was magic, they had made sure it was indestructible by any other means than by sorcery.  
  
" I solemnly sware that I'm up to no good," he muttered the words that James had made up. Prongs. He tapped the map with his wand and the words he knew off by heart appeared to be scribbled onto the page by an invisible hand.   
  
Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs.  
  
The words disappeared and were replaced by an areal map of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
He scanned it and chuckled to himself. Down in the dungeons a dot labelled 'Severus Snape' was pacing back and forth from his storage cupboard to his desk.  
  
' Does that man ever go home?' the thought to himself with an evil grin.  
  
There was Albus Dumbledore in his office, clearly talking to Cornelius Fudge. Hagrid was in his hut.  
  
He picked up his wand again and cleared his throat.   
  
" Moony," he said clearly and tapped his wand three times. It wiped clear and words scrawled along the parchment.  
  
~Hello Moony…  
  
How's school going? (He remembered Wormtail writing that, always was lacklustre)  
  
If you're tired…. (Sirius, who always got excited when he was feeling glum)  
  
You know its time for Marauding… (James, who always had to do something) ~  
  
He smiled fondly and, muttering, 'docare' the map became clear again before it filled up with curses and complex jinxes.   
  
He stared at them unblinking  
  
He didn't think there were this many  
  
Which ones did he have to break?  
  
What if he couldn't?  
  
His simultaneous reaction to all of the above was 'Oh, Merlin!'  
  
After sitting there, reading over all of the hexes he and James and Sirius had complied together for about an hour, he decided that he wasn't going to get any work done. Why couldn't he remember any of these spells? They were thinks that they managed to do at school! He was an adult now, nearing 40, and he had no idea how to break the curses.  
  
He stood up and decided that he was going to turn in for the night when a spell caught his eye, right at the bottom of the page.   
  
' Incantato personi manere'  
  
He read the words slowly over in his head. He knew them! It was the spell that preserved their personalities in the parchment. He only had to figure out how to break it. He got his wand and circled it. A glowing formed around the spell and it rose off the paper, leaving a blank space where it had been lifted.   
  
'Rearrange it Remus,' a voice came up in head.   
  
' NO! Leave it! You don't know what you're doing yet!' Came another  
  
' Yes, go on! Do it for Sirius… you need him back… you're lost without him… for Harry's approval…'  
  
' Don't try to be a show off! It is supposed to take time! Don't rush into something, you could make a terrible mistake and ruin the map… it might not work once you finish with it tonight…'  
  
' The uncertainty of it would have made James and Sirius do it…'  
  
' But you're not James or Sirius… remember… you're the sensible one… you were the prefect…'  
  
" ENOUGH!" yelled Lupin, as he stepped away from the map. He had his wand pointed at the word, uncertain what to do, more little voices sniggering in the back of his mind. Suddenly, he held his arm out and pointed at the word and flicked downwards. It went back into the map.  
  
He stepped back over and after muttering "Mischief managed" he rolled it up, closed his window after he sent a letter back to Harry via Hedwig saying thanks, blew out the candles and hopped into bed, pulling the sheets around his torso.  
  
He hadn't realised that he was shaking. What is he had done what the first voice had told him?   
  
What if he had been taken over by the power of evil persuasion?  
  
That's what the world was like now. You were either on the good side or the bad side.  
  
It was your decisions that made you, Dumbledore had always said.   
  
He wondered what it was like working for Voldemort.   
  
At times he felt sorry for what Snape had to go through, but deep down he knew it wasn't any of his business, except from hearing all of his monthly reports that were basically the same thing over and over again.   
  
Voldemort is getting stronger.   
  
Some one died.   
  
More escaped from Azkaban   
  
He wants Dumbledore dead.  
  
Snape and Sirius had always hated each other with such passion but when word had reached Snape, he was quite solemn about it. He didn't even mention it when he caught Lupin moping over old photographs.   
  
Because that's what he did. He tried to hold onto everything that they once shared. Photographs, he bought a pensive and flooded it with memories, he spent ages gazing at the Black Family Tree and even took the time to magically stitch his name in again. Of course Kreacher had gone ballistic, even more so when he was in a rage and blew out Bellatrix Lestrange's name.  
  
He hated her so much. More than he hated Sirius for not looking at what she was doing.  
  
He pulled the sheets up to his chin and rolled on his side gazing at the map.   
  
He could do it.  
  
He would do it  
  
He needed to do it  
  
He missed Sirius so much.  
  
He lay there in bed for another hour, tears steaming down his face freely, silently. He only stopped when he was taken into the realm of sleep and oblivion.  
  
A/N: Any good? Sorry, this one is too short! The other was too slow.. the next one will be too long… I duuno anymore! But tell me what you think any way! Give me a buzz by pressing the button at the bottom of the page! Lol. Thanks! I love reviews so much!  
  
Cheers,  
  
Phoenix 


	4. The Awakening

A/N: Sorry for it being slow…. but I assure you, its going somewhere…   
  
Chapter 4: the awakening  
  
Remus awoke on the Sunday morning feeling better than he had the previous night. He saw the map still lying on his desk from the night before and padded over to stare at it.  
  
As he picked up his wand he suddenly remembered.   
  
'Incantato personi manere'  
  
It was an ancient spell and he remembered which book it came from.   
  
He had to get to Hogwarts.  
  
He got the map, stuffed it in his pocket, threw on his clothes and bolted down stairs.   
  
" Is that you Remus?" Mrs. Weasley asked coming from the kitchen.  
  
Remus felt a pang of guilt. He had yelled at her boys last night and hadn't yet issued an apology. He didn't mean to be so rude; he was on edge and when the map had come he had forgotten completely.  
  
" Oh, Molly," he said, brushing a lock of his greying hair out of his face. " Where are the boys? I feel terrible about what I said to them last night—"  
  
" Don't worry Remus," she said with a comforting smile. " They shouldn't have said anything like that, it was wrong. But they're not here; they left half an hour ago to their shop. Business is really booming. But where are you going off in such a hurry? Surely you have time for a spot of breakfast?"   
  
" I guess I have time, I was just going to go and see Dumbledore at Hogwarts today. On they way back I'll stop and have a chat o he boys… maybe purchase a pair of extendable ears"  
  
He sat down at the table and Molly pilled a few eggs and three sausages onto his plate. " Eat up dear," she said, " You mightn't be back for lunch."  
  
Remus obligingly ate the meal Molly had cooked for him and saying his thankyous went out of the kitchen and to the fireplace in the living room. He grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and stepping into the flames threw the dust down and bellowed "Hogwarts!"  
  
He was speeding through the atmosphere and he was suddenly thrown of a fireplace and onto the floor. He looked up. He was in the Great Hall. It looked as it always did but since the students were on holidays it looked haunted and lonely.   
  
He pulled out the Marauder's Map and opened it. Dumbledore was still in his office and Snape was in the library.   
  
'Just my luck,' he thought bitterly. 'He'll be awfully nosey as usual.'  
  
He put the map back in his pocket and hurried to the library. Snape was in there, sitting at one of the tables correcting papers.  
  
"Hello there Severus," Remus said politely as he entered, closing the door behind him. Snape's pallid face snapped up from the papers and looked over to where Remus was standing.   
  
" Lupin," he said without any tone in his voice. " What are you doing here?"  
  
" I was going to ask you the same thing."  
  
They held each other's eye contact for sometime. Severus had not spoken to Lupin since he heard of Sirius's death. Although he hated the Marauder's more than he hated the Gryffindor Quidditch team he knew what it was like not to have anyone there for him. He had almost grown accustom to it. But it was Lupins first shot at being totally alone. Well, I guess you could count the duration of time when Sirius was in Azkaban, but some vain hope was always there that he might someday return. There was no hope now though. Sirius was as dead as he could get.   
  
That's what Snape thought.  
  
" I'm doing paper work for Dumbledore," Snape said, finally giving in.  
  
" Looking for a book," Remus said with a smile. "Well, that's what a library is for after all."  
  
Snape sneered and turned back to his papers and Lupin hurried off to the restricted section, although he could fell Snape's gaze shifting from the papers to him every so often.  
  
The spell he was looking for was in a very old book by the title of:  
  
" Luos eh Tervre Serp."(A/N: 'preserve the soul' backwards (like the mirror of erised)  
  
He snatched it up and found the spell he was looking for. He slammed the book shut and hurried past Snape who was following him with his eyes, a sneer on his face.  
  
No sooner had Lupin left the library and hurrying back to the Great Hall had he run right into Dumbledore.  
  
" Ah, Remus! I didn't know hat you were here—"  
  
" I'm in a bit of a rush actually—"  
  
" Oh, but there always time for a cup of tea and a lemon drop—"  
  
" No, I'm sorry Albus but I'm very busy—" he called out, rushing down to the Hall.  
  
" I guess I'll see you when I'm at Grimmauld Place then," he called out after the retreating form of his werewolf friend. " Now, Severus, how are those papers looking…" he said as he opened the door to the library.  
  
Remus was hurrying back to the Great Hall and when he got to the fireplace, he jumped in, grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and yelled "Diagon Alley!". He was gone, speeding through darkness to return to the place where he had first had the thought of brining Sirius back.  
  
He sat outside at Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream parlour and opened the book. It greeted his with a musty smell of rotting paper.   
  
'Obviously no one has touched it since us,' he thought to himself as his triple-chocolate fudge Sundae with whipped cream and nuts arrived.   
  
The book had crumpled pages, dotted with the age of time. It creaked as he turned each page, remembering when he had had it in his possessions last. It was their 5th year and they were well on their way with their marauding around the school. They wanted something to preserve their routes for other troublemakers of the future: the Fred and George's of the world. For Harry, eventually.  
  
As he flipped through he discovered notes on the sides of the book.   
  
* I love L.E* he recognised as James' handwriting. He laughed, remembering that for years Lily Evans had hated the sight of him and stood up for their enemy Severus Snape. She had come around though, they always did.  
  
* When's Quidditch Training Prongs? *  
  
* Tonight at 7*  
  
* I'll be there. *  
  
Peter Pettigrew.  
  
He hated that name almost as much as he hated Bellatrix Lestrange.  
  
He had enjoyed Peters company during school. Of course he was a league behind the three of them, well a few leagues, as Sirius would frequently point out in crowded areas, but he was nice. Simple. Carefree. Submissive.   
  
He flipped more pages until he found what he was looking for. Smiling, he ran his fingers over the notes he had made to himself when trying to put the charm into action. The brains. Of course James and Sirius were equally as bright as he, but they didn't have the patience to read things up and look them over. They were the ones who got the book out of the restricted section, Remus only had to do the work.  
  
He turned the page where he found large circles of ink over three words.  
  
'Incantato personi manere'  
  
He read how to charm paper, books, diaries and even items of clothing. He skipped paragraphs redundant to his cause and soon he found what he was looking for as he scooped a mouthful of his sundae. He choked.   
  
It was easy  
  
Too easy  
  
It was what his mind had suggested the night before.   
  
It was just a simple matter of rearrangement.  
  
He payed for his sundae as he wolfed the rest of it down and swiftly pelted down the alley and remembered that he had not spoken to the Twins about his behaviour last night. Cursing his sudden impatience, he turned and made his way to number 93, Weasley's Wizard Wheezers.   
  
He opened the door. It was full of sweets that he had recognised hanging around number 12 Grimmauld Place. There were extendable ears hanging from racks and advertisement for their infamous swamp range. The room was small and painted a brilliant orange. He picked up a small bag and filled it with Canary Creams and Skiving Snackboxes then manoeuvred over to he counter where he rung the bell.  
  
" Just a minute," yelled Fred.   
  
There was a bang and the Twins shot out of the backroom and grabbed the counter for support.  
  
" Oh! Remus!" George said astounded and out of breathe. " You were the last person that we expected to see here."   
  
" Well, I am very interested in your range of sweets, but of course nothing can replace chocolate—"  
  
" Well, that's what you think," Fred said stepping forward. " At the moment we are in the process of inventing a chocolate bar which, when eaten, makes the body eject liquid chocolate from all its openings. Of course it's not going to well—"  
  
" But it will be finished by the end of the month," George interrupted, " and it will be on sale a month after that, once the fine tuning has been put in order."  
  
" All openings?" Remus asked, sceptical of this idea.  
  
" Sure," they repeated in unison.  
  
" Ah, sounds good fellows, but actually the reason I'm here is because I wanted o apologise to the both of you for being so rude last night. I'm just—just not dealing well with this yet. I'm very sorry."  
  
" Ah, no need to fuss mate," said Fred. " I know I was in the wrong. I should have said anything like that, I know I wouldn't like it."  
  
" Yeah," George put in. " We really didn't mean anything buy it. I guess we were just a bit jazzed to find out that YOU and Sirius had helped make the Marauders Map. You guys were our heroes at school. We got the map out of Filches office in our first year. It taught us more than any of our Professors did—" the on seeing the look on Remus' face he quickly added, " except you, you were a great Professor."  
  
Lupin was touched. Him and his friends were just called heroes. Their work had gone much more appreciated than they had ever expected they would.  
  
George had called him a hero  
  
Fred had nodded  
  
It was time for something that may help his inner healing   
  
Or it may make it worse  
  
But he would have to wait and see how it felt.  
  
" Boys," he said, clearing his throat, " This is being very hypocritical of me, and I'm not sure whether it will make me fell better of worse, but do you think that you could try calling me Moony, just occasionally, so I know what it feels like?"  
  
The Twins beamed.  
  
" Sure, Moony," said Fred with a grin. " And it's lucky for you, right at this very time exactly, that we are having a merchandise sale, so that tiny, itse-bitsy bag you've got there is free, so you had better leave in the next thirty seconds or you'll have to pay."   
  
George nodded   
  
Remus waved goodbye and headed out of the shop, not daring to touch any of the sweets.   
  
He got back to Headquarters and bolted up to his room and pulled the map out. He repeated what he had done the night before when he had encountered the spell that needed rearranging.  
  
The three words leapt off the parchment and they glowed bright in his dark room with the sun nearly about to set on the distant horizon.  
  
He gripped his wand tight in his hand, and muttered the spell that would bring Sirius back.  
  
Whether he was 16 or not  
  
Whether he had no idea who everyone was  
  
Whether he didn't want to stay inside the house all day  
  
Whether he would or wouldn't accept the fact that his best friend, above Remus himself was dead.  
  
' Eg Naraer,' he whispered and the word mixed themselves up. They stopped and Remus muttered  
  
' Exuent Padfoot.'  
  
There was a flash of blinding light and the map on the desk was glowing an intense red. Remus backed away and fell backward onto his bed. When the blinding light stopped, he opened his eyes and lying on the floor was a boy. A 16-year-old boy with satiny black hair and deep brown eyes was staring up at him. The torture in his eyes weren't evident and as he managed to get a hold of himself, Remus croaked, " Sirius?"  
  
The boy on the floor nodded and smiled.  
  
" Remus? What happened to you?"  
  
A/N: Well, there it is, I brought him back! YAY! But what is this 16 year old going to have to face when Remus tells him the truth? Please review! I love them! Thank you so much for reading.   
  
PS: Someone (previously called Someone Who Cares) I got your brain waves perfectly! Lol! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!  
  
Phoenix 


	5. Sirius, Seriously?

A/N: So, last chapter Sirius came back. What's going to happen now? Well… you're going to have to wait and see! lol! r/r… but I know you will!  
  
Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! You make all this hard work worthwhile! Hehehehe! Hard work….  
  
Chapter 5: Sirius, seriously?  
  
Remus' eyes were wide with shock.  
  
Sirius Black  
  
His best friend  
  
Was 16  
  
" Did you take an aging potion or something," Sirius joked. " You look terrible!" and he gave a bark like laugh.  
  
When Remus didn't say anything Sirius got up and walked around.  
  
" OK, spill your beans Moony," he said. " What happened to this place? It's so… filthy. What happened to you? What's going on? I mean it, that look of yours only means trouble"  
  
Remus got up and walked over to him. He always remembered Sirius to be taller than him but now he was taller than Sirius, but not by much.  
  
"Sirius—" he started, and then stopped.  
  
What the hell was he going to say? Look, mate, you died at age 36 and I was lonely so I brought you back through the map. James and Lily are dead; Peter sold them to a dark wizard that you've never heard of before in your life. You spent the last fifteen years in Azkaban for a crime that you didn't commit, Peter did, and you escaped. We have formed a secret revolt against this wizard because he came back to life after supposedly dying after killing James and Lily but their son, Harry Potter who is your godson, stopped him. Are you with me?   
  
"Come on! What's going on? Where's James?" the boy demanded, beginning to sound worried.  
  
" What's going on?" Lupin repeated faintly. " Sirius…James, he… I need to tell you something and it's very important," he said resolute.  
  
They went over and sat down, Remus on his desk chair and Sirius on his bed, the charming, handsome smile barely recognisable amongst the confusion.  
  
" Remus—" Sirius started but he held up a hand to cut his off.  
  
" You need to listen to me Sirius," he said, his stare never faltering. Suddenly he was chocked for words.  
  
Remus sighed. This was going to be tough, really tough. He cleared his throat and began to explain the whole situation, slowly and during that time Sirius sat there in silence, listening intently at everything he was saying.   
  
" So…I'm dead?" he said at last. "James and Lily are…dead?"  
  
Remus nodded his head. " They got married just after we left school."  
  
" And you're 36?" he asked.  
  
" Yes."  
  
" And I am too?"  
  
" Yes."  
  
" And this evil Wizard, Voldemort, killed James?"  
  
" Yes."  
  
" But couldn't kill…Harry, is it?"  
  
" That's right."  
  
" Why not?"  
  
" Because Lily put an ancient curse on him so that he would be saved. You see there was this prophesy…" Remus stared a new chapter in Sirius' life once again, and again, he listened.   
  
There was an awkward silence. Sirius was looking down. His former life was plotted out before his eyes. Everything that had happened to him, everything that had happened to his friends, everything that now seemed so pointless.  
  
" Merlin Moony…I don't know what to say…I'm dead! My family is dead. My friends are dead! I have a godson who is living with Muggles…I have to be nice to Snivelly!"  
  
" No you don't. Your 36 year old self didn't like him."  
  
" But Remus," he said looking up. " Am I going to have to be my 36 year-old self?"  
  
Remus had never thought about this. He had thought about how he was going to explain everything and he wondered how Sirius would react. He had hit both of them on the head, but now he wondered, could Sirius be free to live the life he never had? Could he start again, could he make his second chance better?  
  
" Ah, well, Sirius, I don't think so," he said slowly. "I guess this means that you can start again, make different choices. No one is going to recognise you, at least no one out hunting for you."  
  
" Oh," he said. " But I don't know anything. The last thing I remember is how to transfigure a Niffler into a Puffskein."  
  
" Well, that's a start," he chuckled. " I can't remember how to do that."  
  
There was an awkward silence, the both of them looking at each other. Sirius: fit and athletic, handsome and dashing. Remus: old and greying, shabbily dressed and pathetic looking.   
  
" And the Map…our map. You brought me back from using the spell of rearrangement?"  
  
Remus nodded. " A memory."  
  
Sirius looked uncertain. " A memory?" he repeated. " Of me as a sixteen year old?"  
  
Remus didn't answer his question; he knew that the answer was blatantly obvious, Sirius was capable of working that out for himself through his 36 year old friend's steady gaze.  
  
" Sirius," he said. " I—I was wondering whether you could stay here while I got out for a bit, get someone here…I need to work a few things out. I wont be more than half an hour. Please don't go wandering, because I know you will. There are lots of people in this house and I don't want to create a huge fuss—"  
  
" What? Oh, maybe I should come with you," he said, apparently not hearing the last part of his sentence.  
  
" No, Sirius, it's best that you stay here, I'll bring them to you."  
  
" That's the non fuss way isn't it?" he said managing a smile. " You always were like that. Pleasing people was always your strong point."  
  
" Yes, I know. Stiff old Remus eh? Prefect Remus, the controllable one. Did I forget to mention that there is a cure for being a Werewolf now? Wolfsbane Potion. I get Severus to brew it for me once a month—" then on seeing the disappointment, then disgust on Sirius' face he quickly added, "I can still be a werewolf, but I don't want to hurt anyone, if you know what I mean. Severus hasn't tried to poison me once. Dumbledore would have his hide if he did. Be back soon," he said stepping out the door.   
  
He knew Sirius was going to want to get out, so he magically locked the door with a password and headed down the stairs, practically leaping from each landing. There was only one thing.  
  
He wanted to be 16 as well.  
  
He wanted to be able to talk to Sirius as he used too.  
  
Maybe if he went through the veil then he could get someone to bring him back—but that was silly.  
  
Wasn't it?   
  
**  
  
The raced down the halls of Hogwarts then came to a gargoyle and muttered " Skiving Snackboxes" (of which Dumbledore had taken a supreme liking to) and walked up the stairs in order to get there faster. The opened the door to Dumbledore's office and slammed it behind him, quite out of breath.  
  
" Remus," Dumbledore greeted lightly. " Wonderful to see you. Am I certain in saying that the business that kept you so occupied yesterday is all but solved?"  
  
"Ah, quite Albus. But I have a confession to make—"  
  
A/N: What do you think? Is it awful? I spent to long trying to get it right, I have a Beta Reader now, my excellent friend Kate Stephens, known to me as Meowface so she will be proof reading! I'm so sorry I took so long. I had to endure exams!  
  
  
  
Now i have to go to Camp and i'll have a lot of time thinking with my excellent friends about my plot line. i have a few ideas, i just have to pull them of...  
  
PLease review, they mean the world to me, and they will be a nice surprise when i get back on the net!  
  
Phoenix 


	6. Spirited spirits

A/N: Ok, I'm going to try and do a better job faster, because I have to get into the swing of things again, and I was also away on a school camp last week so I couldn't do anything whilst I was away, so I'm going to do my Good Samaritan for today! This is it! Enjoy!  
  
Beta Reader: Meowface  
  
Chapter 6: Spirited Spirits  
  
" A confession?" Albus repeated slowly. " What do you mean Remus?"  
  
Remus Lupin, (the werewolf that Albus Dumbledore had accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when no other headmaster ever would have), stood in his office after just catching his breath. He felt a sticky feeling of guilt rise from the bottom of his stomach but suppressed it before he would became sick all over the immaculate office floor.  
  
" I brought Sirius back through the Marauders Map," he blurted out in one breath. It was as if he had taken a longer time to say it more than words would have rushed up his throat.  
  
Dumbledore frowned slightly. "The Marauder's Map?" he said slowly, as a contrast to Remus' rushed answer. The werewolf nodded eagerly.  
  
" Ahh," Dumbledore said, walking behind his desk and seating himself down so he was facing Remus, " I thought as much."  
  
" You know about the map?" Remus asked aghast. He had spent the short trip over to Hogwarts wondering how to explain it to the headmaster and now there was no need.   
  
" Of course," Dumbledore said of handedly. " I knew there must have been some devise that enabled the Potter boys to go sneaking off after hours with their very best friends," his eyes sparled as Remus stared, openeing and closing his mouth. " I saw it on Severus's desk the night that you were re-united with Sirius."   
  
Remus flinched and quickly changed the subject, " Albus, what do you mean by, 'I thought as much'?"  
  
" I had a feeling that you would do something erratic like this. The loneliness would drive you mad. I've seen it in your eyes Remus, that missing part that can only be filled by the friends that you have lost. Of the Marauders, you are the only one left, excluding Peter Pettigrew, who has done the worst possible crime; to betray the friends that trusted him with their lives."  
  
Remus was shocked into silence.  
  
" But we can go into what you are going through another time. You have a much bigger problem on your hands now then, don't you?"  
  
Remus nodded dumbly. " What should I do?"  
  
" Do? Why Remus, that is completely up to you. Let me talk to Sirius, the 16 year old, and maybe then I can gather much more on the situation then you just running lines at me through short sharp fragmented sentences? Ok?"  
  
" OK, but Albus, have I done the wrong thing by this? Bringing Sirius back when he has no family, no friends except for a 36 year old man, and Godson that misses him terribly."  
  
" I'm sorry Remus, but you cannot be 16 again, its too complicated and against Wizarding Laws."  
  
Dumbledore walked over to the Fireplace, got a handful of Floo Powder and bellowed "12 Grimmauld Place" and vanished. Remus stayed glued to the spot.   
  
'How did he know what I was thinking,' he thought as he followed the wizened wizard to the place he now called home.   
  
*  
  
Remus thundered out of the fireplace in the kitchen of the Head Quarters of the Order of the Phoenix to find Dumbledore having a spot of tea with Molly Weasley.  
  
" Remus," he beamed, " ready to lead the way?"  
  
" Where to?" Molly asked.  
  
" His bedroom," Albus answered with a smile.  
  
" Oh, you tease," Molly jested superficially. " Well, are you going to stay for dinner Albus? I'm cooking roast lamb and vegetables, then after wards we are going to have black pudding."  
  
" Oh, I wouldn't miss it for the world Molly," he replied and crossed the room when Remus led ahead.  
  
They climbed the stairs and went up to the 6th floor and into his bedroom when he unlocked it.   
  
Remus saw Sirius Black lying on the bed and blasting off the mould from the ceiling with his friend's wand. He jumped up and quickly threw his wand across the room, in an attempt to look innocent. Dumbledore's eyes followed the wands movements across the room then focused somewhere near the centre of the bed. Sirius smiled cheekily, jumped off the bed and sat in the desk chair at the old and worn table.  
  
" Ah! Professor Dumbledore! You are old too then?"  
  
" Hello Sirius," Dumbledore said in a level voice. " How are you feeling?" He was watching the chair swinging around and around…  
  
" I'm bored out of my brain actually and yourself?"  
  
" Quite fine, but I'm afraid that I'm out of droobles best blowing gum. It's always depressing when you want something that you don't have, but when you have it you can never quite appreciate it in the same you as you did when you were without," he stared at Remus who quickly looked away out of discomfort.   
  
" Yeah, like this one time James and I were out of new hexes to use on Snivellus, then we found one of Remus's books…" he trailed off. " James isn't really dead is he Professor? I mean, is Remus telling the truth?"  
  
" Has Remus ever lied to you before Sirius?"  
  
" No sir, I just…. I guess I had to clarify with someone else, and that he hadn't taken an aging potion and wasn't taking the mickey out of me."  
  
Dumbledore shook his head solemnly.   
  
" Whose room was this?" he asked.  
  
" Regulus's. Stupid prat, mum and dad's favourite."  
  
" Sirius; do you mind if I have a little chat to Remus?"  
  
" Sure, no problamo," Sirius said lightly and started swinging vigorously on his brothers desk chair once more. Albus and Remus left the room, closing the door behind them, emitting a little click.  
  
" Well?" Remus said urgently, searching Dumbledore's old and although time worn still bright eyes.   
  
" I cannot see him Remus," Dumbledore stated plainly.  
  
" What?" he spluttered. " But you can hear him… what does this mean?"  
  
" I don't know what this means, perhaps that you and you alone can see him. Maybe he is your imagination, your memory."  
  
" But he isn't, you can see his actions can't you?"  
  
" Indeed I can. I am only making a suggestion here. Maybe, you have brought back his spirit but his physical form remains in your mind."  
  
Remus became interested in the clasp on his light blue robes.   
  
" But memories are designed to fade, aren't they?" he asked throwing his fringe of sandy coloured hair out of his eyes.   
  
Dumbledore said nothing.  
  
A/N: well, now Dumbledore's involved! Please Review; I didn't get as many last time poor me! Lol, I don't care, I just hoped you liked it so I can keep going! I think that this chapter is MUCH better than the last one that I was very unhappy with. I hope you like this one and give me a buzz about it once you've finished!   
  
Cheers!  
  
Phoenix Firefly 


	7. Grivences

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews guys, I get so excited when I see them and your encouragement means so much, it makes all this worth while, if I got no feedback, I wouldn't bother! THANKS! And I'm hoping to have 100 reviews by the next 2 chapters…I'll do my thing and you do yours!! lol  
  
Beta Reader: Meowface my most sincere apologies and this chapter is for you  
  
Chapter 7: Grievances   
  
Remus said nothing back and walked quickly down the stairs and out of Dumbledore's sight.   
  
He jumped the landings and ran straight out of the door of number 12 Grimmauld Place and out onto the Muggle street and yelled at the top of his lungs then fell to his knees and sobbed uncontrollably, his whole body shaking.  
  
He sat in the gutter and tried to contain himself but found it exceedingly difficult. He lay back and looked up to the sky.  
  
"You great fool?" he roared out to the heavens his sobs abated. " Of course no-one can see him! The pain in making you go crazy… " His head dropped and his anger subsided. " Why…?"  
  
" Because you loved him."  
  
Remus sat up and looked and stared startled at the young witch with red hair bound in sausage-like ringlets.   
  
" Tonks…"  
  
" It always happens to the ones we love. Voldemort knows that's the human weak point. He doesn't know what its like, he can't love and for that I pity him. But we can Remus, we know that insatiable feeling, and that's why Sirius is dead. Because Voldemort doesn't understand."  
  
" Or because he understands perfectly. Our vulnerability is so obvious! I just wish I could hide it sometimes."  
  
" What, and be like Severus Snape?"  
  
Remus smiled faintly and wiped his damp eyes. Tonks sat down beside him and took his paw like hand in hers.  
  
" Sirius was special to everyone and my Aunt Bellatrix killed him."  
  
" Tonks, he didn't die. He was stunned and he fell through the veil."  
  
" Yes, in the Department of Mysteries, so we can never know what will happen. It's a mystery."   
  
There was a very comfortable silence between the two of them. They had both know Sirius well, Remus perhaps a little better and their sadness had never been expressed so profusely. They had to be the adults, especially Remus. When he and Harry saw what happened it was he who had to get Harry out of the room, kicking and screaming for his lost Godfather. It was he who had to be strong and keep a level head when the world came crashing down on top of him. It was he who was now alone.  
  
" The pressure finally getting to you Remus?" Tonks offered after their comfortable silence.  
  
" My outburst?" he laughed. " I guess so. I don't know. I'm going through a bit at the moment. I've done something that I'm regretting. You see, there were only innocent intentions at first and now it's a mess and I don't know how it go like this is a matter of an hour."  
  
" What have you done?"  
  
" Well, since you can't see my mess I think that I'd better tell you. I brought Sirius back through a map that had his memory stored as a sixteen-year-old boy in it. He is in my bedroom talking to Dumbledore."  
  
Tonks gawked, then laughed, loud and hard. Remus was confused; he was expecting her to be anxious and saddened and even to request a visit to her uncle, once removed. But she laughed and was soon gasping for breath.  
  
" Remus, you certainly know how to cheer a girl up, sometimes I wonder why you don't have a girlfriend."  
  
She got up, brushed the fresh cut grass off her robes and waked to near the house muttering, " He is in my bedroom talking to Dumbledore…"  
  
Remus stared after her. " But I'm serious," he said.  
  
*  
  
Dumbledore watched the werewolf bolt down the stairs and sighed. Remus had always been the sensible, smart and secure one. But he had one seeming flaw; he was fiercely loyal and devoted to his friends. They were his world and at the stage in his life when he had none he was lost and felt no reason to go on with his life. It was then that Dumbledore employed him at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.  
  
Then Sirius escaped Azkaban. Everything changed. They were reunited and he was stronger than he had ever been when he was by himself.  
  
And now Dumbledore was not sure whether Remus was doing himself a favour by bringing back a sixteen-year-old spirit. Was he going to be attached or reluctant to let go? However, his main problem was Remus's subtle hint at wanting to be sixteen again. It couldn't happen, well, it could, but Dumbledore was going to make sure it wouldn't, for Remus's own good.   
  
A/N: well, chapter 7…. ah, yes. I know, I know, OK? I'm slow and I could give you all 101 reasons why I'm so slow but I won't waste the time that you have to review in! lol. But I had the flu, then Meowface had the flu and it all got fluie….bah! Well, I hope that you liked the chapter and I'm already working on the next.  
  
Well, sort of. Take Care!  
  
Phoenix 


	8. Existences

A/N: It's Phoenix again! "What a surprise!" I hear you all say enthusiastically. There really is no point to this little a/n besides to say that another reason for being slow was coz it was my 15th birthday and I had lots of special things to do! I LOVE birthdays…. but I didn't get any HP stuff (but Meowface gave an excellent hat)…. so if someone can send me something, like a… plush Snape * Mmm… * I'd be really appreciative! Lol! Thanks guys, YOU ROCK!  
  
Beta: The wonderfully talented Meowface  
  
Chapter 8: Existences   
  
It was time Dumbledore went in and spoke to Sirius about what he was thinking. He found it hard to imagine what it must be like for the poor boy. And for Dumbledore not to be able to wear someone else's shoes, that was big. After all, he had been a lot of things, but a spirit wasn't one of them.   
  
He opened the solid mahogany door and looked into the room. The bed sheets were flattened in a body shape. Dumbledore pulled the desk chair up to the side of the bed.  
  
" Sirius…" Dumbledore trailed off. He didn't know what to say, and that was a first. This was less common than when he couldn't empathise.   
  
" Professor, why am I here? Why…why is everyone talking about me? Discussing me? I know everything, but I've never been so confused in my life."  
  
" Sirius, I know. In fact I'm in the same boat as you. Your friend Remus has put both of us in a bit of a spot, not to mention himself. I cannot see you, you are a spirit, and a memory and I think that it is only Remus who can see you."  
  
" You, you can't see me? So are you saying that I am only in his mind?"  
  
" That's right. However, I may be proved wrong…maybe you can see your own reflection…"  
  
He took out his wand and waved it around. A small gilded mirror appeared on the bed and the professor picked it up and held it out. He let go when the weight of it was released.   
  
Sirius stayed silent.  
  
" Just as I thought," mumbled Dumbledore. " A mere spirit brought to life through a memory."  
  
" So I don't exist, not really?"  
  
Dumbledore took a deep breath, and, picking his words carefully began to speak to Sirius Black.  
  
" You exist because you are being thought about, because you are being missed. You exist because people have to believe in something—they have to believe that there is hope for reaching the ones we care about, the ones we love even when they are separated by a lifetime, and that's what Remus has done. He cares so much Sirius. That's why you have been brought forth, that's why you exist. And you will always exist as long as people believe the impossible cane happen. You came to us in spirit form and that how you'll leave us."  
  
The gilded mirror was placed back down on the bed.  
  
" So I am leaving?"  
  
" I believe so yes."  
  
" Professor… I was just wondering… if it was possible…"  
  
" Sirius?"  
  
" If I could meet James and Lily's son…Harry."  
  
A/N: well, what do you all think? I know you may not like it but please don't flame me. Actually, I don't even know why I'm asking you not to, because you are the best reviewers in the world! And I have all of you! Evil cackle!!! Seriously, you guys are the best and I love you all! Oh, and also...sorry that its really really short and it took a really really really long time for me to update. Sorry!  
  
Cheers!  
  
Phoenix 


	9. Harry

A/N: OK, trying to get this written well and written fast. From the time that I've written this it has probably taken me about a month to update because I'm so slack. All right, I got your reviews…. and they weren't fantastic so I'm going to clean up my act and make the best ff that I possibly can. With in reason. Thanks to the people who wished me a happy birthday, that was nice of you.   
  
Beta: The exuberantly camel-running Meowface.   
  
Chapter 9: Harry  
  
Remus Lupin had been sitting on the street curb for around half an hour. The sun was beginning to turn gold, illuminating the fluffy summer clouds, turning then all shades of pink. Remus loved sunsets, the beautiful simplicity, the melodic way they drifted around, proud of their colouring until darkness fell and they were hardly to be seen.  
  
Pulling himself up, he staggered back to the house and moved slowly up the stairs.   
  
"Hey Remus," Ron called as he opened his bedroom door. " Are you alright mate?"  
  
"What—Ron, yes. Yes I'm fine thankyou. Awfully big day though. Full moon approaching, you know how it is."  
  
" Well, sort of. I've only ever read about it—"  
  
" That's the boy," he said jadedly, breaking him off at mid sentence and continued the slow ascent of the stairs to his room where he was sure he would find his mess the way he left it.  
  
He stood outside the door. The pain he had caused himself and Sirius, the spirit. The trouble he had caused Dumbledore to come and fix this up. He had to feel responsible and come to terms that it wasn't ever going to work. He was going to keep missing him and he was going to keep remembering him until his life came to an end when the pain of loss would eventually cease.   
  
He came into the room where Dumbledore was sitting beside Sirius. Remus wondered what it must be like to talk to someone who wasn't there, then remembering he had done it on numerous occasions decided that it wasn't much fun.  
  
" Moony," Sirius said sitting up on the bed. "Where did you go?"  
  
" Ah, I needed another… book. I nipped down to Diagon Alley for a bit."  
  
" You and books," he said shaking his head, " you could never get enough of them."  
  
"Still can't."  
  
" Remus," Dumbledore began. " Sirius would like to visit Harry. I was going to take him alone, but you are most welcome to come now that you have returned from Diagon Alley."  
  
Remus's mouth dropped and his breath got caught in his throat.  
  
" Visit Harry?" he managed to choke out. Dumbledore nodded, as did Sirius.  
  
"ARE YOU MAD?" he yelled. " HARRY CAN'T SEE HIM, WHAT'S THE POINT! HE MISSES HIS GODFATHER ENOUGH WITHOUT US BRINING HIS 16 YEAR OLD SPIRIT OVER THERE!"  
  
"Settle down Remus," Albus soothed. " I think it a good idea. I think that it will help Harry, rather than make him feel worse."  
  
Remus walked over and slumped on the bed. "And if it doesn't work? If it makes him feel worse?"   
  
"Then there is a handy little spell called Obliviate," Dumbledore joked  
  
"What if he is a bad state already, Albus? Merlin knows he's probably suffering already."  
  
" You will be there Remus, I'm sure he'll be fine."  
  
"I'm not so sure…"  
  
"Well then, that settles it," Dumbledore cut in. " we will all go—"  
  
" Oh? And how is Sirius going to get there?"  
  
"Through the map," Dumbledore said approaching the desk. " Is this it?" he said picking up a very old piece of parchment that was frayed and torn in most areas. Remus nodded, that was the map. That was his map. That was Harry's map. It was the Marauders Map.  
  
" The spell?"  
  
Remus summoned the book from the desk and flipped to the page.  
  
"Luos eh Tervre Serp," Sirius said then smiled. "That book has a lot of memories."  
  
"Yeah, especially since you read it back to back to find the perfect spell to use," Remus said sarcastically. " I think the only memories that you have of this book is what you and James wrote on the margins."  
  
Sirius chuckled. "Well, it was more interesting then reading the book anyway."  
  
" Are you ready to cast the charm Remus?" Dumbledore asked levitating the map over to him.   
  
Remus mumbled something incoherently and stole the map from its floating position. Taking a last long glance at Sirius, he cast the counter-curse.  
  
" Redes ad consilium," he said in almost a whisper and pointed his wand at Sirius.  
  
A light pink glow was emitted and he drew the string of light so it made contact with the map. There was a blaze of swirling colour and the sound that a young boy makes when being pulled by an invisible rope.  
  
The colour settled and Remus sadly laid the map on the bed. Sighing, he pushed his greying hair from his face and stood up.  
  
" Shall we apperate or go by Floo powder?" he asked.  
  
" I heard that the Weasley's had tried to get into the Dursley's house by Floo powder and it was not far from disaster, so I think that we shall proceed to number 4 Privet Drive by apperation."  
  
Remus nodded, knowing that this was going to cause as much fuss as the Floo powder incident did but he had a feeling that Dumbledore wanted just a little excitement to break up the monotony of the war.  
  
"OK."  
  
Dumbledore gathered the map and tucked it into an inner pocket of his robes and pulled out his wand. Remus collected his from the bed and before they popped out of the bedroom Remus wondered whether Mrs. Weasley would mind re-heating the dinner.  
  
*  
  
Remus Lupin and Albus Dumbledore landed safely on tiled kitchen floor with no substantial injuries to their knees from the shock. Since Remus had gotten his apperation licence he had always made a note to bend his knees before he landed. However the damage they missed out on from their landing, the screaming of the dried up horse faced sister of the lovely Lily Potter, Petunia Dursley, nearly burst their eardrums.   
  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" She shrieked, already aware that they must be freaks like her nephew. " GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"  
  
Dumbledore opened his mouth to start to reason but was cut off by the man with the purple face and no neck who bellowed, " YOU SIR ARE ABSOLUTELY NOT WELCOME!"  
  
Remus knew they were like this but still found it difficult to understand how Harry hadn't committed suicide under their roof. Of course, he was most happy that the thought hadn't seemed to cross his mind.  
  
Dumbledore held his hand up and said in his most polite voice, " I am terribly sorry for the disruption but I am Albus Dumbledore and this is Remus Lupin and we have come to see Harry Potter."  
  
" Of course you've come to see him," she hissed. " You're a freak like him! And I'm not sure how welcome you'll be up there he hasn't spoken to anyone since his return home."   
  
Remus held his tongue as he was going to point out that Harry had only been home for 2 days and that he was sure Harry could find no possible ground that they could have a civilised conversation on. The two wizards nodded politely and headed up the stairs.  
  
They were half way up and a thundering came from above. They stopped and looked intrigued and Dumbledore, quite pensively, paused and waited to see what was going to happen next as though a pack of hungry Hippogriffs were going to run past.  
  
Unfortunately it was Dudley, the dunderhead of a son that the Dursleys had raised to be the fattest kid in Surry. He was at the top of the stairs and froze in his tracks, leaving his leg poised and his mouth wide open. Dumbledore smiled and continued up, commenting as he went.  
  
" Fascinating creature…"   
  
Remus chucked and followed him up.   
  
They reached a closed door and stopped. Dumbledore stopped before it and knocked politely.  
  
" Harry… Harry are you in there?"  
  
There was a shuffling sound and Dumbledore tried again in the same soft, controlled way. The sound of footsteps neared the door then came a raspy voice of someone who had cried his throat dry answered:  
  
" Professor Dumbledore? Is that you?"  
  
" Yes it is Harry," he continued as the door was unlocked by Harry's password. It opened. " And—"  
  
" Remus!" Harry said excitedly and ran forth as Remus enveloped him in a hug. Pushing Harry's messy hair that hadn't been cut for a while out of his eyes, he smiled at the young Gryffindor, feeling more sorry for him than he did for himself.   
  
" How have you been doing Harry?" Remus asked as the three of the walked inside.  
  
Harry flopped on the bed. " Terrible. I haven't slept…I can't eat, I'm a mess, but I guess you can see that."  
  
" Just a little," Remus admitted, sitting next to his flopped form on the unmade bed amidst the messy room.  
  
" What brings you here Remus, Professor?" he asked sitting up against the wall.  
  
" Harry, I did something…I brought Sirius's spirit back through the marauders map and through my memory, he became physical, but only to my eyes. He can walk, talk do everything that he could do before. But he is 16, the age he was when the map was written. And…he has requested that he meet's you before we have to send him back."  
  
Harry's eyes widened and with no other reaction he said suddenly, " Where is he?"  
  
A/N: well, that was long and I don't think it took me a month to write… I'm on holidays now so I'll get a lot more done. But I'm going to Surfer's Paradise (in Queensland, in Aussie) for the 1st week…I'M GOING TO THE HARRY POTTER SIGHT AT MOVIE WORLD! YAY! And if Meowface is reading this, I know that I didn't get the end part 'bettered' but I hope it's ok and that I didn't make too many mistakes! Lol! I'll send u a postcard…well, c u around!  
  
Phoenix 


	10. The Pain

Phoenix  
  
A/N:MERLIN! I"M SO SORRY I TOOK SO LONG!!! but......... I'm back! Yay…HP at Movie World isn't that great… but I bought a wand and there were REAL Nimbus 2000's and Quidditch Banners (Ballycastle Bats, Puddlemere United) and there were Cauldrons and owl cages and quills and…wow, I'm working up a sweat here! Lol. The down side was…NONE OF IT WAS 4 SALE!!!!!!!!! So I complained, told the shop assistants that I'd write to the manager and that the whole thing was false advertising. But aside from that, thanks for reviewing guys, I was so excited when I came back to your comments.   
  
Beta: My cookie eating, chocolate munching counter part, Meowface.  
  
Chapter 10: The Pain  
  
  
  
There was a blast of light and Sirius was on the floor as he had been at number 12 Grimmauld Place. He pushed his hair out of his face and looked up.   
  
" James," he spluttered, "Prongs?!" he jumped to his feet and came close to Harry and looked into his eyes. " Evans," he whispered and stood before the boy who lived, gaping.  
  
"Sirius?" Harry said sceptically. " I can see you," he turned to Remus, " I can see him!"  
  
Remus smiled and bit his trembling lip. " Sirius…you wanted to meet Harry. He is fifteen—well, sixteen in a couple of days. He—"  
  
" –looks extraordinarily like James," Sirius interrupted. " You own the Marauders map don't you? What about James's invisibility cloak? Do you know all the secret passages out of the castle?"  
  
Harry nodded slowly. " My friend Ron's twin brothers got the map out of Filch's office in their 1st year. They gave it to me in my 3rd year. I got dad's cloak in my 1st year from Professor Dumbledore," Harry looked over at him and the same old twinkle shone through his eyes, Harry lowered his voice, " And I have been out of the castle once or twice."   
  
Sirius laughed, but it was not the laugh Harry was used to. It was not a hard bark, a hoarse laugh but a soft, husky one.   
  
" You are your fathers son Harry," Remus said putting an arm around him but Harry escaped his grip and stood up facing Sirius.  
  
"Tell me about him—my father—James?" Harry pleaded.  
  
Sirius pondered this. " James…loves your mother Harry. He is…mischevious, smart funny…gives the Professors a run for their money…but at the same time can get away with murder."  
  
Harry felt a pang when Sirius was speaking of his dead dad in the present tense. Although, when Sirius finished, Harry smiled which seemed to make Sirius look around the room awkwardly and say no more.  
  
" Sirius—" Harry said stopping all words that were likely to come from Remus's mouth. " It's my fault that you're dead, I should have told Snape…I should have used the Mirror you gave me after Christmas… I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions—"  
  
"Snape?"  
  
" He's my potions Professor," Harry said, quickly, feeling slightly interrupted during his spoken storm of emotions.  
  
Sirius's jaw dropped.  
  
" That git came to be a Professor? You didn't mention that Moony," he said accusingly.   
  
" I'm so sorry Sirius—you'd still be alive if it weren't for me, it's my fault that you're dead!" He continued, needing to get the feeling off his chest.  
  
" Harry! Stop that!" Remus howled as if he were in pain. Dumbledore came forward as Sirius took a step back.  
  
" Harry, listen to me, it's not your fault any of this happened, do you understand? Sirius came when I told him not to…he wanted to be there to protect you! He wouldn't be left behind—he would have died for your safety, and he did."  
  
Sirius frowned and looked at the boy his age that was crying over his death. Remus stood and hugged Harry, his cries muffled against the werewolf's chest. Dumbledore looked around the room over at Sirius who picked up a book to show where he was, leaning against the wall looking at the group as if they were miles away.  
  
" Sirius—"  
  
" I think I've done more harm than good, perhaps we should leave," he said smoothing his hair down at the back.  
  
" No," Harry said moving out of Remus's comfort. " No, don't go."  
  
Sirius looked at him. " I feel strangely like an adult here," he said and smiled wryly.   
  
" But we're equals now," Harry reasoned and looked at Dumbledore who was trying to focus on a place on the wall. "Why can't you stay?"  
  
" Harry it's not as easy as that. As we explained, Sirius is a memory, Remus's memory and I'm quite astounded that you can see him as he was—"  
  
" It was through Snape's Pensive…that's where I saw him as he is now."  
  
Dumbledore nodded. " But he cannot stay because his physical form will fade."  
  
" But his spirit will live on—"  
  
" Even if we return him to he map because he will always be remembered."  
  
Harry turned angrily away from Dumbledore. " I'm sorry Harry, nothing can be done."  
  
Not looking at his headmaster Harry walked over to Sirius. " Thanks."  
  
Sirius smiled. "Anytime, but what for in particular?"  
  
" For making Snape as nasty as humanly possible towards me," he chuckled. " Seriously, for being my dads best friend."  
  
" It was hard not to be," he said, " Your parents were good people, Harry. Remember that."  
  
" I will."  
  
Remus moved forward and cast the spell. " Redes ad Consilium."  
  
The light pink glow came from the tip of his wand and as Harry screamed goodbye, an inviable rope pulled Sirius into the map once again.   
  
Dumbledore looked at the desolate Harry and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. " We'll come and get you later on. It's just best you stay with the Muggles for a little while longer. Perhaps isolating yourself from the Wizarding world will do you some good."   
  
Harry nodded and turned to Remus, " Thanks for bringing him here."  
  
" No problem Harry," Remus collected the map from the floor and handed it to Harry. " It wouldn't be the Marauders Map with out Padfoot."  
  
Albus smiled and he and Remus left the room and the house. Harry slept well that night and remembered one thing, " That git came to be a Professor?" Laughing softly so as not to disturb the Dursely's, he fell asleep, noting that he had to tell Hermione and Ron what had happened.  
  
A/N: I'M SO SORRY! I'VE TAKEN WAY TOO LONG AND I'M SO SORRY…. you see, it was writers block…I couldn't do anything so I sat and did ALL my French holiday homework. Yay me. Well…I think it's the final chapter next…hmmm… what will happen? THANX 4 REVIEWING! U GUYS RULE!  
  
PS: Meowface isn't morbidly obese despite her cookie consumption per annum.  
  
Phoenix 


	11. The Marauder

A/N: OK, this is the last instalment…gosh! It's weird how it's almost over! So…for all of those who have read to the end: my love and best thoughts always. You guys have been so good to me and you made me go on. Gush gush gush gush…you get the picture yeah? My most sincere apologies to all who have had to wait what…4 months for an update, but I am eternally grateful. OK? Fanastic! Rock on!  
  
Chapter 11:   
  
Beta (and friend always, forever): the fun loving, gingerbread making, dirndl wearing, Singapore airlines dresser, un-tone deaf singer, cello player, creative thinker and my better half in the good times and the bad, the delightfully funny, spelling Nazi Meowface. Cheers to you…without you Kate, there would be mistakes and OOC everywhere—thanks for your support and time!  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Remus retired to his room upstairs with the reheated meal that Molly had handed him as he and Albus arrived in the kitchen, Remus more despondently that his mentor. What he had done tonight should have made him feel better about letting his dear friend go, but it only made it harder somehow.  
  
He and Albus had stopped at Hogwarts as a matter with Cornelius Fudge had arisen. Things had been quiet at the Ministry Of Magic, (as they had been informed by Tonks and Kingsley Shaklebolt), as Fudge had been settled into an embarrassing silence over the matter with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The minister had to speak about the fifth year curriculum for the next beginning as it had been thrown off course for too long. Remus found it all too easy to figure out Fudge was only there as he had to be.  
  
Remus told Albus it was time to leave when he saw Severus approaching. Remus had always tried to give Snape the time of day but found him difficult to face during an emotional low. They disapperated before Snape could reach them.  
  
Now, he was sitting at his desk, map-less and sadder then before he left to go and see Harry. He couldn't pinpoint the exact thing that made him inconsolably sad, but it had something to do with the last goodbye—it was given to Harry. But, didn't that make him happy? That Sirius had touched so many lives, and had met his godson before leaving this realm? He shook his head, this rationalizing behavior did less for him than more. He had always been a rationalist, so, for once in his life, could be be totally selfish, erratic and so incredibly irrational about this?  
  
The opened his window, the sweet summer air filled his lungs, the moon was nearly up. He gazed up at the summer clouds that were turning grey as night began to descend upon London.   
  
His heart suddenly twinged and for that split second it lasted Remus panicked. He knew that twinge all too well, for too many years he experienced it before the potion Wolfsbane was even heard of.   
  
Stricken with alarm, he raced down the stairs and ran out of the house and ran to the nearing forest when, through the tops of the trees he spied the moon peeping through those clouds that were so beautiful but now they were bringers of doom.  
  
A pain crossed his whole body and as his hands turned to claws he ripped his clothes off, discarding them in shreds and ran to the top of the hill that towered over the city of Muggles and Wizards alike. Barring his teeth, the mouth of the werewolf opened wide and let rip a howl…   
  
Albus heard the marauder leave the house and hurried to the top floor of the house at number 12 Grimmauld Place and looked through the curtains of the French window. The shape of a dog-like figure perched on the hill to the east. He sighed and turned around to see a sleepy red-haired gangly boy with a large nose and a freckle problem standing not far behind.  
  
"I heard a howl…it's not Remus, is it?" He said taking a wobbly step towards the window. "Good Merlin, what about his potion? Shouldn't Snape… Professor Snape I mean, have given it to him?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled, "Probably, but between the two of us, I think he is taking the last outing with the Marauders."  
  
*  
  
In the Bedroom of Harry Potter at number 4 Privet Drive, Surry, The Marauders map glowed on Harry's desk. The Boy Who Lived woke with a jump as the bright light shone in his eyes.   
  
Taking his round glasses off his bedside table he wandered over and looked at the map. White whips, shadowlike were coming out of the map and began to swirl around Harry in his bedroom. There were only three shapes and without much consideration he came to find that they were a rat, a stag and a dog. He smiled broadly as they circled his room and drifted out of the window…to meet The Marauder.  
  
A/N: Thank-you! blows kisses  
  
Cheers!  
  
Phoenix Firefly 


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